Trouble reading today's article? Click here: Issue #184 - Sunday, November 1, 2015 Dear Fellow
Grower, In today's issue... - Auto-flowering strains have come a long way! Learn what makes them different and see if autos
are right for you!
- No need to fly blind! We've listed some breeders who are known for making awesome auto-flowering strains!
- This weeks trophy pics feature some smaller buds with a lot of punch! This amount of trichomes can only be a good
thing!
Nebula Haze & Sirius Fourside (founders of GrowWeedEasy.com) "Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be."
~Abraham Lincoln
Auto-Flowering Cannabis Strains Guide by Nebula Haze & Sirius Fourside |
Note: Unless you’ve specifically ordered an “autoflowering” or "ruderalis" seed from
a seed bank, it's very unlikely you have an auto-flowering cannabis plant.
So You Want to Grow an Auto-Flowering Plant?
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Introduction to Auto-Flowering Cannabis Strains Auto-flowering cannabis strains are the descendants of a wild strain of hemp first identified as "Ruderalis" in Russia
during the early 1940s.
Most strains of cannabis are known as "photoperiod" strains and don't start flowering (making buds) until they get specific signals from the sun that winter is coming.
Conversely, Ruderalis plants don't wait any type of signal. Instead Ruderalis plants start flowering when they reach 3-4 weeks of age no matter what's going on with the sun, and their buds are mature only 2-3 months from seed.
- Auto-flowering plants grow for about 3-4 weeks and then automatically begin flowering (making buds)
- Auto-flowering plants are generally ready to harvest by the time they're about 3 months from seed
By living such a short life, Ruderalis plants were able to survive in
Russia with short summers and extremely long winters. Unfortunately just like other types of wild hemp, wild Ruderalis buds contain next to no THC. Fortunately for us growers, a forward thinking breeder realized that the auto-flowering capability and short growing period of Ruderalis strains might be useful to hobbyist cannabis growers. This unknown breeder started intermingling Ruderalis plants with famous strains of photoperiod (regular) cannabis in order to increase bud potency while
retaining the auto-flowering capability.
These days auto-flowering strains, originally known as "Lowryders," are found at most seed banks alongside photoperiod strains. Although the wild Ruderalis ancestors contained almost no THC, most modern auto-flowering strains produce buds that are comparable in potency to other
strains of cannabis due to many generations of careful breeding.
Because of their short vegetative stage and lifespan, auto-flowering strains tend to stay relatively short, and are ready for harvest sooner than most photoperiod cannabis strains. This also means that they tend to have lower
yields. But the exciting part is the auto-flowering world is evolving as more breeders continue making new auto strains. We're starting to see better and better strains, more nuanced potency, and a lot more variation when it comes to harvest times, plant size and yields.
Auto-Flowering vs. Traditional Cannabis Strains Unlike traditional (referred to as photoperiod) strains, autos don’t need any special kind of light schedule to “tell” the plant to start budding. With a photoperiod strain, a
cannabis plant needs 12+ hours of darkness a day to initiate flowering.
When growing photoperiod cannabis plants outside, flowering naturally begins when the days get shorter. For outdoor growers, this means that plants must be planted in the spring, and they grower must choose strains that will finish in time before winter.
Indoor growers cultivating photoperiod strains can initiate flowering at will by giving plants longer dark periods (usually by putting their grow lights on a timer). For indoor growers, this means the grower needs to make a light-proof grow space to allow for 12 hours of uninterrupted darkness each day while the plants are flowering.
For an auto-flowering cannabis plant, a
grower doesn’t have to worry about light schedules. Each auto-flowering plant starts blooming after a few weeks no matter what light schedule is provided. For outdoor auto growers, there’s no need to match up the strain with your local time zone or plant at the perfect time - simply plant autos when you know you have at least 2-3 months of warm, sunny weather.
For all growers in a hurry to harvest,
an auto-flowering plant will almost certainly be ready to harvest more quickly than any other type of cannabis strain. More Questions About Auto-Flowering vs Photoperiod Strains How long until harvest? Auto-Flowering Generally, autos are ready to harvest sooner than photoperiod plants. Most autos are ready to harvest 2-3 months after being sprouted from seed. For the first few weeks, autos (auto-flowering plants) only make vegetative growth - stems and leaves. After their short “vegetative stage” ends, the plant will start making buds and continue to grow taller even while their buds are
forming.
It's only until a few weeks before harvest that most auto-flowering plants stop growing “up and out.” At this point, auto-flowering plants put all their energy into fattening buds, and buds can gain substantial weight during the last few weeks.
When purchasing auto seeds, good breeders will be able to tell you how long the strain will take until harvest. It's important to note that most strain breeders will tend to provide the shortest time frame they can, and many autos will produce better yields and higher potency if left for a week or two (sometimes even three) longer than recommended.
Photoperiod
Photoperiod strains usually
take longer to harvest than autos. In general, photoperiod strains are ready to harvest 3-4+ months after being sprouted from seed, though the final time depends heavily on your grow style and which strain you choose. Even photoperiod plants flowered from seed tend to take longer than an auto-flowering plant to be ready to harvest, and the yields are much lower. Photoperiod plants do best when given some time in the vegetative stage before they start flowering, and aren't as well suited to quick
harvests.
Auto-Flowering
Autos
generally yield up to about 4 ounces of bud per plant when taken care of throughout their life, but the amount of bud produced has a lot to do with the grow setup.
Many growers end up yielding 1-2 ounces per auto or even less, especially if starting with poor genetics or when using a sub-par lighting setup. Like all cannabis plants, autos need a lot of light to produce good yields!
In
some cases, growers with a lot of experience, great starting genetics and perfect conditions can yield up to 6 ounces per auto-flowering plant or more.
For example this indoor Dutch Passion AutoMazar plant yielded above 900g (more than 30 ounces of dried bud) from just one plant under about 1000W worth of light. Normal yield for this strain is about 100g, so this - admittedly extreme example - demonstrates what a great setup and grow experience can do for your
yields!
When considering yields, it's important to remember that one of the advantages of growing auto-flowering cannabis strains is most growers can produce several harvests a year (since the lifespan of each auto plant is very
short).
Photoperiod
Photoperiod strains can have a lot more variation in yields than auto-flowering plants. This is due to the fact that photoperiod growers have a lot more control over the size and
shape of the plant, which in turn has a huge effect on yields.
Outdoors, your yields depend a lot on your climate. Warm and sunny weather with many hours of light a day will produce plants with bigger yields.
Indoors, generally your setup is the biggest determining factor of your yields.
Which is more potent? What about smell and taste? While there are currently fewer auto-flowering strains to choose from, the potency for autos and photoperiod cannabis plants is comparable. Auto-flowering buds are not significantly less potent.
However, one major difference is that many auto-flowering strains tend to have higher amounts of CBD in their buds than photoperiod strains (because Ruderalis plants are high-CBD). CBD is a cannabinoid that is known for having medical properties as well as reducing
anxiety.
But in general, a modern "Blue Cheese" auto has been bred to have similar bud characteristics as a "Blue Cheese" photoperiod plant.
Things have come a long way since the original low-potency "Lowryder" auto plants!
Smell, Taste and Visual Appeal - When it comes to smell & taste, the same rules apply. While there are fewer auto-flowering strains to choose from (though the list is growing each day), the smell and taste of each strain is similar to their photoperiod counterparts.
The one visual difference I've seen is that auto-flowering buds tend to be a little bit leafier (grow more leaves among the buds) than photoperiod strains, which means they may need a little extra care during trimming to get rid of all the leaves.
It's important to note that some photoperiod strains grow in the same way, and I don't believe that
extra leaves during the budding process is necessarily a bad thing. If anything, the extra leaves seem to power the growth of buds, causing them to swell up more in a smaller amount of time and less light that photoperiod strains.
Are auto-flowering strains better for medical marijuana? An important characteristic for medical marijuana patients is that auto-flowering buds tend to contain higher levels of CBD than photoperiod strains.
CBD is a cannabinoid that is
known for having medical and anti-anxiety properties. Most photoperiod strains these days are high THC, low CBD, and it can be hard to find high-CBD photoperiod strains. Learn more about THC vs CBD.
This makes auto-flowering buds an attractive choice for some
medical marijuana patients who are looking for higher CBD cannabis strains. There are also auto-flowering strains that are bred principally to be high in CBD. It's difficult for many growers get clones of one of the famous high-CBD photoperiod strains, and auto-flowering strains can make it easier for some patients to get access to CBD.
When I grew auto-flowering strains, the buds felt more medicinal (as opposed to recreational) than the majority of strains I've grown. Even in higher doses, the effects weren't as "racing" as some of the really high-THC, low CBD strains. The buds all made me feel very pleasant and helped melt away stress, without being overwhelming. I think some people might actually prefer the effects of
auto-flowering buds, even if they're not patients, and I believe autos may be a great choice for some medical marijuana patients.
How big will each plant get? Auto-Flowering
Autos tend to stay short naturally. In fact, in most conditions it is difficult to produce very large auto-flowering plants because they have such a short lifespan.
They only grow bigger for about 1-2 months. The rest of their lives are spent fattening buds.
On average, autos grow 1-4 feet tall by harvest time; generally auto-flowering plants will stay under 4 feet in height. The final height of each auto depends a lot on the strain you choose and whether you provide enough light. You can also use some non-stressful plant training methods like bending tall branches over (low stress training) to help prevent stretchy autos from getting too tall.
So You Want to Grow an Auto-Flowering Plant?
So You Want to Grow an Auto-Flowering Plant? |
I highly recommend the /r/Autoflowers online community for auto-flowering growers. The whole group is helpful, supportive and
everyone is experienced at growing auto-flowering cannabis strains. |
Which breeders can I trust for good auto-flowering seeds?
Which
breeders can I trust for good auto-flowering seeds? The following list was put together by the experienced auto growers at /r/Autoflowers
There are many other breeders that offer auto-flowering seeds, but the breeders listed have become famous for breeding some of the best auto seeds when it comes to ease of growth, potency and yields.
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Trophy Pictures of the Week |
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-El Tico
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Who Runs This
Newsletter? |
Nebula Haze:
Medical cannabis is important to me personally, and I'm dedicated to showing others how easy it is to grow their own supply of
cannabis at home.
It is my mission to educate and build growing resources to help both new and advanced growers get bigger, better yields with less time and money. |
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Learn which seed sources are personally recommended by Nebula Haze |
Sirius Fourside:
Sirius Fourside is a hobbyist grower who has gained the bulk of his experience growing in water as a medium(deep water culture,
bubbleponics).
"Growing cannabis is a relaxing hobby in and of itself, but it also saves you money and keeps you from having to deal with shady characters. Cannabis is much
easier to grow than people give it credit for, and growing in water doesn't increase the difficulty much, if any. But whether you want to grow in water, coco, or a different medium, we'll show you how easy it can be!"
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GrowWeedEasy.com has put together a hand-picked list of all the available SEED BANKS including what type of payment they
accept and where they ship in the world!
View complete list of trusted seed sources:
http://www.growweedeasy.com/seeds
Why not start your grow with quality genetics from an award-winning
strain? Or choose a strain that suits your growing style and personal needs. Still not sure? We recommend Nirvana. They've been breeding award-winning strains for decades
and offer some of the most reliable stealth shipping in the industry. In our complete seed sources list you'll discover... - Which Seed Sources are Fast, Safe and Reliable (list is updated regularly)
- Credit Cards, Debit Cards, Check Money Order, Paypal & even more secure payment options!
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- Find Out Which Seed Sources Deliver to YOU!
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